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Summer Research Program for Students Fills Gap in Educational System

August 10, 2004

DAYTON, OHIO-College students who participated in Wright State University's Short-Term Research Experience Access for Minority Students (STREAMS) program this summer will present posters and presentations about their research on August 13, from 9:30 -11:30 a.m., in Room E156 of the Student Union on the Wright State University campus.

Since June 14, students have performed cardiovascular-related research in areas such as epidemiology, the endocrinology of hypertension, or the cellular and molecular components of cardiovascular disease. Students spent 80 percent of their time in the program doing laboratory research under the supervision of a Wright State faculty mentor. In addition, students gained classroom experience by reading papers from primary literature, presenting scientific talks, and exploring the social and ethical implications of scientific research. Students also attended a career day at Procter & Gamble, where speakers provided the students with first-hand information on available careers in research.

"The exciting thing about the STREAMS summer research program is that we bring a diverse group of students together who work on projects relevant to human health. The program encourages them to see the benefit and the origin of science, and will have a life long effect on their career choice," states Mariana Morris, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. "I think that the program fills an important gap in our educational system-the translation of academic coursework into scientific discovery along with a healthy dose of career counseling."

The program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, is co-directed by Morris, and Shumei Sun, Ph.D., professor of community health, and is coordinated by Mary Key, M. S.